R is for Rage
by tiinaj1
Summary: Heads up! Chapters 5-6 posted today. Just a word of caution for those joining us mid story - Chapter 3 has a disturbing scene of child abuse. If you want to skip that, you can, it just may be a little confusing for a bit.
1. R is for Rage introduction

By tiinaj1

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters: The Numb3rs group or Jack & Rachel O'Malley who are based on a series of books by Dee Henderson. Danny & Mark are mine though as are the people they got away from.

R is for Rage:

Don moved through the burned out shell of the building carefully walking along the walls and avoiding the center of the floor. Shining his light toward the floor, he watched as the pattern moved across the room, up the walls and onto the ceiling. He noticed how the fire had burned deep into the wood, chewing it up before moving onto a new area until it reached the windows where it had burned through the frame and shattering the glass.

"Don!" Jack O'Malley moved toward him. "Thanks for coming. I thought you might want to see this. "

"Arson?" Don asked, looking around. Jack nodded and putting a hand on his arm, motioned him toward the exit.

"Yeah. The arson investigator just got here and he's gonna check it out. Unfortunately, this fire is similar to several others we've had this year." Jack shook his head. "The investigator has a lot of work ahead of him.

'If it is arson and it's connected to the other fires like I think it is, then this guy has just escalated his behavior. We had a body in this one." Jack took off his helmet as they stepped out of the building. Running his hands through his hair and then picking up a water bottle, he took a long drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "There's not much left of him.

'Look what I found inside." He held up a cap with the insignia of the Skid Row Fire Department. The navy cap had obviously seen better days. The edges of the bill were frayed, holes were burned into it in various places and where the fabric of the cap was still intact there were streaks of dirt and grease. It was sealed in a plastic bag.

"Skid Row?" Don looked at Jack. Giving a silent whistle, he raised his brows. "That's a rough neighborhood."

"Yeah." Taking a key, he opened the compartment where evidence was put for safe keeping. He put the cap in, signed and dated the evidence tag and then relocked it. Turning, he faced Don. "Cole thinks it might be a kid. If it is, he may be out of control.

"I've got to give this key back to the inspector. I'll see you later?" Jack held out his hand to Don. "You up for dinner tonight? My shift ends at 6."

"Sure, actually why don't you come over to my brother's for dinner tonight when you get off? We'll be barbecuing." Don said shaking his hand and then turned and walked toward the Suburban.

"See ya then." With a wave, Jack turned back toward the building and disappeared inside, stopping to put his helmet back on.

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Don walked up to the front door of his brother's house. Carrying a couple of cases of his favorite beer he walked in and called, "Hey guys! Where is everybody?"

Following his nose and his dad's voice in the kitchen, "Hey Dad, how ya doing?" When his dad moved out of the way, he stuck the beer in the fridge and grabbed a cold one, popped the cap and took a long drink.

"Hey, I invited a friend to join us tonight. Is that OK?"

"Sure Donnie. Who is it? Anyone I know?" Alan finished the tossed salad and handing it to Don he said, "Why don't you stick this back in the fridge. When will your friend get here?"

"Should be soon. He's a fire fighter and his shift ended at 6. We have a case that we're both working on and we need to compare notes."

"OK, wait till after dinner though, huh? Let us enjoy our food first and you guys can unwind a little too." Alan moved to the back door and opening the grill, he checked the steaks he had been grilling for the fajitas they were having tonight. Pulling them off the grill along with the blackened peppers, he put them onto the plate he had set aside earlier. Walking back inside, he pulled the tortillas, avocados, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos out. Putting everything on a tray, he handed it to Don to put on the table where he had already put out the dressings for the salad.

Both men looked up when the back door opened and a tall muscular young man walked in. Don moved forward and held the door open as Jack shouldered his way in the door carrying a huge watermelon. "I come bearing gifts!" Jack said with a wide grin.

Alan smiled, "It'll be time to eat in a few minutes boys. I just need to slice the meat." Pulling out a knife he started slicing the meat diagonally. Putting the plate on the table, he shook hands with Jack and told him to help himself to a beer and then make up his plate. "We'll eat outside. Charlie should be here in a little bit and after we eat, you guys can talk."

The men sat in their chairs on the patio watching the stars in the sky and talking quietly. Don and Alan had beers in their hands and Jack was working on his 4th bottle of water. After a long day fighting fires he needed to replenish the water he had lost in the suffocating heat of the flames.

The sky was full of stars, twinkling and sparkling above them. Charlie stood over the Koi Pond and sprinkled the food and watched as the fish swam to the surface and pecked at the food before turning and swimming away. Occasionally, he leaned down and spoke to the fish and pulled a weed here and there.

Jack leaned back in his chair and heaved a sigh. Linking his hands behind his head, he stretched out his legs and then turned to Don. "I'm stuffed, I don't think I could have eaten another bite."

Don grunted, and stretched out his own legs. Lifting his beer to his mouth, he tipped his head back and took a long pull from the bottle. Wiping his mouth on his hand he lowered the bottle and rested it on his thigh.

"What did you find at the Parker house?"

Jack scrubbed his face before dropping his hands. "Well, there's plenty of evidence of arson. The arson investigator found a book of matches in the living room. There were fingerprints all over the place, both patent and plastic. It's like he didn't try to hide what he was doing."

"Who's the Investigator? Rogers?"

"Yeah, he's good. He'll find who did this."

Don put his bottle on the table and then turned toward Jack. "You said it might be a kid. Why do you think that?"

Alan turned from watching Charlie and looked at them. "A kid? A kid started this fire?"

"Possibly, there were very small footprints in the dirt outside the house, fingerprints around the door, on the knob and also on the gas can. The technicians will make casts of the footprints and if they prepare all the evidence correctly, we'll havehim. The problem with kids is they usually aren't in AFIS."

"What makes these kids play with fire?" Alan asked.

"Well, there are many reasons people play with fire. With children it starts with a fascination with fire, sometimes it escalates due to a death in the family, a desire for attention good or bad, neglect, abuse. It can be any number of things. Sometimes, it gets out of control and the kids are too scared to ask for help to put the fire out," Jack answered, "and sometimes people end up dead.'


	2. A surprise in the garage

Chapter 2

Alan carried a basket of laundry into the garage and emptied it into the washer. Setting the basket down on top of the dryer, he leaned over and turned the dial to cold and added the detergent before finally closing the lid. He turned and grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floor of the garage while tunelessly whistling a song.

Overhead a scurrying sound came and Alan stopped and looked up. "Mice! I thought I told Charlie we needed more traps?"

"Mice? Danny, where are the mice?"

"Shhh!"

Alan looked up when he heard the high pitched whisper and a look of surprise crossed his face. He set his jaw and a stern look entered his eyes. Leaning the broom up against the wall, he moved toward the ladder that led to the storage room above. Climbing up the rungs, he stepped out onto the floor and looked around.

"Alright, come out here right now!" Putting his hands on his hips, he walked forward, towards where he thought the whisper had come from. The room was crowded with boxes, an old dresser, a couple of chairs and about a dozen chalkboards. Pulling the chairs out and looking behind the dresser he spotted two youngsters. "Come out here! What are you doing back there?"

The children crouched and stared up at him. They both looked at him and when he reached a hand in to grab one of them, they flinched back and the little one wrapped his arms around his older brother and started crying.

"Hey now." He softened his voice and backed away. "You don't need to cry. Come out here, I need to get a look at you." Alan moved the dresser out a little further and motioned for them to come forward.

They stood up and eyed him warily and Alan realized they were scared of him. Privately he thought that was probably a good thing but not wanting to scare them more, he backed up and said, "I'll be waiting for you over here," He said, motioning to the chairs. Turning he went and moved the chairs out to the center of the floor and sat down on one of them.

The older boy looked down at his younger brother and, in a whispering voice that he didn't realize Alan could hear, told him to stay behind him. He wouldn't let anything happen to him. Then moving out where Alan could see him, but staying out of reach, he stood with shoulders back and head held high.

Alan couldn't help but think of another young boy twenty-five years ago who had stood in the same position in front of him a time or two. "What's your name?"

"Danny."

"And who's the little one? Does he have a name?" Alan sat back and tried to look less threatening to this boy who looked like he was ready to bolt. The little boy ducked behind his brother and tugged on his sleeve. Danny turned his head and looked down at him.

"What?"

"I'm hungry. Do you think he'll give us something to eat?"

"I doubt it. Maybe. Be quiet and we'll see." Danny turned around and looked at Alan again. "This is Mark. We weren't doing anything wrong."

Alan tilted his head and thought for a moment. He didn't think it was a good idea to let these kids leave. They were hungry and tired. They didn't look like they had slept in a bed or had a decent meal in at least a month, if not longer. "I'll go in and make some sandwiches. If you're hungry, come into the kitchen and wash up. We can talk after you eat."

A short time later, Alan had put several sandwiches on the table along with carrot sticks and fruit. Pouring a couple of glasses of milk, he moved back when he saw the boys standing in the yard looking in the window. It looked like they were trying to decide if they dared come in. Mark reached up and yanked on Danny's sleeve again.

"Danny? I'm really hungry. Can't we eat a little and then leave?" He looked up at Danny and then turned and saw Alan standing in the kitchen watching them. Ducking behind Danny again, he peeked around his arm. He looked up at Danny again, "Please?"

Alan walked toward the door. "Would you boys like to eat out here?" He pointed toward the patio. "I'll bring your food out here and you can eat it when you're ready." Turning, he went inside and put everything on a tray and then carried it out to the table. "Here you go. I'll be inside. If you're still hungry let me know and I'll make you another sandwich. Oh, there's chocolate cake for dessert when you're done."

He went inside and started wiping the table and cleaning up the kitchen. He watched the boys to see what they were going to do and made sure he stayed where they could see him. Eventually, he saw that the younger boy had left his brother's side and made a beeline for the sandwiches. He grabbed one and then looked into the window and saw Alan. He paused and then turned toward his brother. Taking a bite, he sat down and dug in. "Come on Danny! Come and eat!"

Danny walked warily up to the table and saw Alan. Hesitating, he looked at his brother and then at the sandwiches. Finally, he reached out a shaking hand and Alan saw him weave slightly before he snatched one up. He took a couple bites and then when he finally realized that Alan wasn't coming out to grab him, he tentatively sat down on the edge of a chair.

Alan turned away from the window and picking up his cup of coffee he moved toward the door. Pushing the screen door open he let it slam behind him and walked toward one of the chairs. "Hey guys, I'll just sit over here. Let me know when you're ready for some cake."

Mark turned back to his plate and continued eating, while Danny sat there and picked at his food. His eyes kept closing and a look of pain and exhaustion crossed his face. Slowly he relaxed until he was leaning an elbow on the table and holding his head up with his hand.

Sipping his coffee, he watched Mark focus on his plate, swinging his legs while he ate until he was stuffed. When he was finished, the little boy turned toward his brother and pushed his plate closer to him. "Come on Danny. Eat your sandwich." Danny shook his head slightly and sighed. "I'm not very hungry."

Alan put his coffee down and getting up he moved toward the house. A few minutes later, he pushed the door open with his shoulder and then walked out with 3 pieces of cake and set them in front of the boys. "I made this early this morning. Chocolate Cake is my son Charlie's favorite and I thought I'd surprise him tonight. You'll have to tell me if it taste's OK."

Picking up a plate for himself, he sat down on a chair at the table. Mark looked at him and then eyes wide, he dug in. Shoveling in a big bite, he grinned, chocolate covered teeth flashing and a long "Ummmm" escaped.

Keeping an eye on Danny, Alan put a bite in his mouth and chewed slowly. "Mmmm. Mark, what do you think? You think Charlie will like it?" He picked up his glass of milk and took a long drink. "I put chocolate chips in it. Charlie says the best cake has a ton of chips in it.

Mark nodded and then motioned to Danny. "It's really good Danny. Have some." Stuffing some more into his mouth he yawned suddenly. A few minutes later, unable to keep his eyes open any longer, he leaned back in the chair and fell asleep still holding his fork in his hand.

Danny looked at Alan and then at his brother. Standing up and easing his jacket off, he covered Mark and tried shift him with one hand till he was more comfortable. Sitting back down carefully, he tilted his chin up and then attempted to put a bored look on his face. "So, what now? You gonna call the cops?"

Alan put his plate on the tray and leaned back again. "That depends, what were you doing in the garage? Where are your parents?" While he waited for an answer, he carefully looked Danny over. His eyes looked dull, cheeks flushed with fever, his face was very pale and he was shivering. His left arm was loosely wrapped with a dirty bandage that was beginning to unravel and Alan noticed that he kept his arm close to his body and was careful to not jostle it.

Danny rolled his eyes, shrugged and then looked out over the backyard. "I don't know. There's just the two of us." He put a foot up on the seat, circled his leg with his right arm and Alan watched as he leaned his head on his raised knee. Raising his head again, he looked at Alan, waited a moment and then said, "We just need a place to stay for a couple of days."

Alan studied him for a moment and then made a decision. "Alright, why don't you help me carry this stuff inside and then you can bring a blanket out to cover your brother with. If you'd like to take a shower while he's sleeping you can. I'll keep an eye on him."

A few minutes later the kitchen door slammed and he turned around and saw Danny standing there holding Mark in his arms. Mark lay limply in Danny's arms, head resting on his shoulder. Danny looked like he was about to fall over as he stood there struggling to hold him.

Alan put the plate he had just washed down and moved forward to take Mark from him. "Let's put him on the couch and he can take a nap." Leading the way into the living room, Danny followed him to the couch and watched Alan carefully lay Mark down. Taking off his shoes, Alan grabbed the afghan draped over the back of the couch and spread it over him.

"Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is." Moving into the bathroom he put a couple of towels and a washcloth out for Danny and when he turned around to leave, he realized the boy hadn't followed him. Walking back into the living room he saw Danny looking uncertainly toward the bathroom as though he wasn't certain if he should leave his brother.

Alan watched as Danny stood there. "I'll run upstairs and see if I can find some things you might be able to wear. You'll feel better after a shower, and then you can sit beside your brother till he wakes up."

Walking upstairs and into Charlie's room he grabbed a couple of T-shirts and a pair of old shorts and carried them downstairs. The door to the bathroom was closed and when he heard the water turn off he knocked on the door. "Danny, I've brought some clothes for you. There kinda big, but at least they're clean."

The door opened a little and Alan looked down into Danny's eyes. He smiled, "Here ya go." Danny grabbed the clothes with one hand while holding the towel around his waist. Turning he moved back into the bathroom and Alan got a good look at the boy.

His eyes widened as he saw Danny's back. It was covered with bright red welts that were puckered and looked as though they might be infected. A little blood and pus had seeped out and mixed with the water still running down his back and into the towel.

Danny looked up and saw Alan's look of shock and he flushed. At the same time, he started weaving and dropping the clothes he reached out and tried to grab the sink but missed and collapsed on the floor.

Alan reached him a moment later and leaning over him, he grabbed a washcloth and wetting it, he gently dabbed at his back to clean up the blood and pus. Opening the cabinet over the sink, he reached in and grabbed a tube of Neosporin. Hesitating though, he thought perhaps he shouldn't apply any to his back until he was looked at by a doctor.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Dialing 911, he requested an ambulance, gave the address and then told them about Danny. Hitting speed dial "1" to call Don, he waited while it rang and when he got his voicemail, he told him to call him as soon as he could. By the time he was done, he could hear the sirens and getting to his feet, he hurried to the door and let the paramedics in.

When the paramedics saw Danny and Alan had shown them his back, they looked at each other and than at him with suspicion. "What happened, Sir? Did you do this?"

Alan looked at them in surprise. "What? No!" He stared at them in shock. "I found him and his brother in my garage a little while ago. I gave him something to eat, although he didn't eat much, and when his brother fell asleep I let him take a shower. He didn't look like he was feeling well and I wanted him to stay where I could keep an eye on him. When I gave him some of my son's clothes I saw his back and then he collapsed. So, I called you."

The paramedics lifted Danny to the stretcher and strapped him in. "Alright, we'll take him with us. Can you bring his brother with you to the hospital? You're going to have to give a report to the police about this." While the paramedic was talking Danny had started to stir.

"What? Who are you?" Danny frantically looked around. "Mark? Where's Mark?" By now, he was struggling and fighting. "What are you doing? Let me go! No! Please, I can't leave him!" Tears filled his eyes, and he began trying to buck but the straps on the stretcher held him tight.

Alan moved forward. "Danny? It's OK. These guys are going to take you to the hospital. I'll bring Mark with me in my car and we'll meet you there." Alan gently brushed his hair off his forehead. "It'll be OK. Shhh. Just relax now. The doctors will give you something for the pain."

Alan turned around and went to the couch. "Mark? Come on son." Picking him up, he carried him out to the car and buckled him in. Then circling around, he climbed behind the wheel and started up the car. At that moment, his phone rang and he noticed that Mark had awakened and was looking at him with tears in his eyes. "Mark, it's OK. We're going to follow your brother and we'll see him in a little bit."

Glancing at his phone, he flipped it open. "Don? Can you get away now? I need you to meet me at Huntington Memorial. No, no. I'm alright. No, Charlie's OK. I'll explain when you get there. Hmmm? OK, I'll see you there in a little bit."


	3. The Hospital Warning violence w child

Chapter 3:

Danny lay sleeping in the bed in the middle of the room. The pain in his back and his fever caused him to toss and turn restlessly. He could feel gentle hands touching him, brushing his hair off his forehead, putting something cool on his back, his legs and his butt. The pain eased up and finally he started to relax and drifted into a deep sleep. And then the dreams began…..

_A tiny tendril of smoke lifted its head and wavered as though a light wind blew on it. It gathered strength slowly, growing higher and higher until it trailed across the floor and reached the other side of the room. A shadow reached out toward him and he could hear a crackling sound that sparked and a flame burst to life and began to jump around in a crazy dance. It raced up the walls and across the ceiling until the entire room was engulfed in a brilliant flash of orange and red._

_A curtain moved and a hand pulled it back. A young face looked out and watched with fascination as the smoke slowly filled the room and when the flame started crawling up the curtains, he pressed his face to the window and shivered with fear. _

_He heard the sound of feet pounding up the stairs and he turned and watched as his bedroom door was flung open and his little brother ran in. Throwing himself on Danny and then grabbing his arm he pulled him outside to watch the fire. _

"_Danny! The old Parker house is on fire!" Mark shouted while jumping and pulling on his arm. "The fire trucks are coming. Let's go watch!"_

_The two boys raced down the stairs, jumping over the last 3 steps in their hurry to get out of the house and outside. Whooping and hollering they raced across the living room and threw open the screen door which banged loudly on the porch swing and set it swinging back and forth._

Danny moaned and tossed in his bed and the dream continued:

_A screeching voice came from the smoke in the air and sent shivers through him, "Boys! You stay in the yard, you hear me?" A woman walked around the corner of the house as they burst out of the front door. "You leave this yard and you'll be spending the afternoon in your room waiting for your father to come home!"_

_Mark turned and waved at the woman and continued running toward the sidewalk in the front of the house. The boys stopped and watched as the fire trucks pulled up in front with sirens blaring and lights flashing. The men poured out and within seconds were running toward the house with axes, hoses, helmets and tanks of air strapped to their backs._

The scene faded and Danny woke abruptly. His body ached like he had just gotten another beating. His head throbbed and he felt nauseous. Someone came toward him and he watched as a man came into focus.

"Danny? How are you feeling?"

Danny looked around and his eyes fell on Mark who was asleep on the couch by the window. His eyes turned toward the man again and then he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

_He looked up at the dancing flames. The smell of the fire and smoke and the frenetic activity of the fire men pulled him toward the fire. For a moment, he stood there and wondered what it would be like to walk into the fire. Stepping off the curb, he moved towards the fire truck where he stood with a hand on one of the ladders and stared at the fire that was now leaping out of the windows and the holes that had been chopped in the roof. _

_He heard a voice calling him. Turning around, he could see his little brother running back and forth on the sidewalk. He looked scared and worried. "Danny! Come back here, your gonna to get in big trouble. When Mom sees you she's gonna get mad and Dad'll give you a whipp'n." Tears ran down his cheeks and his shoulders shook from his sobs. "Danny! Come back!" _

"_Mark, you stay there, I'm gonna look around." The voice faded, and he turned and walked toward the cab of the truck and opening the door he climbed in. Picking up a ball cap from the seat of the truck, he put it on and then opened the glove compartment. _

_He started rummaging through the papers, bags, tape and pens and when his hand closed on a book of matches he stuck it in his pocket. His hand touched a small book and he pulled it out and started thumbing through it. He pursed his lips in a silent whistle and put the book in his pocket._

_Just then he heard a shout come from Mark and he turned and looking out the window he saw one of the firemen coming toward the truck, he crawled over to the driver's side door and opening it he slipped out and jumped to the ground. _

Again the noise and chaotic activity faded and Danny woke. He felt hot and sticky and he realized that he was crying. "Danny?" A hand came toward him and gently wiped a cool cloth over his face and around his neck and shoulders. "How about some ice chips, hmmm?" Something cool was put into his mouth, and as he realized how thirsty he was, he sucked hard at it and then moaned when it melted. A couple more pieces were slipped in and again he sucked hard before relaxing and slipping into sleep again.

_A harsh voice came from the smoke again. It grated on his nerves and he felt anger and fury at it along with a fear of the pain that he knew was coming. "I thought I told you to stay in the yard?"_

_Danny was in his room, his body tense as he heard the steps coming from his parent's room and the jingle of the strap. His heart leaped and he began backing up as the door was flung open. A hand slapped him and falling on the floor he flinched as his father grabbed him and then yanking Danny forward by the arm he raised the strap and swung it down._

"_Dad no! Please…"_

_Danny lay on the floor sobbing. Trying to cover his head with his arm as the strap swung down and bit into his back, he flinched as the whirr of the belt swung through the air and he tried to curl up even closer to the wall. His butt and back burned and throbbed from the red angry welts caused by the thick strap his father was using. "You worthless brat, I'll teach you to mind your mother. Your disobedience will not be tolerated in this house!" _

_Finally, the last stroke came and his father grabbed him up again and roughly shook him. Then throwing him to the floor and ignoring the loud crack that filled the room, he stormed out and slammed the door._

Danny jerked awake with a cry. He lay on his stomach shaking and looked around the room frantically. "Mark?" He tried to push himself up on his hands and knees and then fell over on his elbow when his arm gave way and his head started spinning. "Mark? Where are you? Where's my brother?" Tears ran down his cheeks and he collapsed onto his stomach sobbing.

"Danny? Shhh." Hands reached for him and slipping under his arms, they lifted him up and onto a lap. He noticed his butt didn't hurt so much now and the arms were careful of his back and yet the strength in them made him feel safe. At least for now, until he made him angry. Danny fell asleep as he sobbed into Alan's shoulder. "Shhh."

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Don pushed the door open to the room in Pediatrics and peered into the darkened room. Looking around he saw his father sitting in a rocker and carefully holding a young boy who was asleep with his head on Alan's shoulder. Another child was asleep on the sofa along the wall under the window, and Don watched as he shifted to his side and curled up with his hand under his cheek.

"Dad?"

Alan looked up and smiled with relief as Don walked into the room. "Donnie!"

"What's going on? Who is this?" Don came and knelt down where he could look into the child's face. Tears were on his cheeks and he still gasped and hiccupped in his sleep as though he had just been crying. He noticed that he was sitting on a pillow and leaning heavily into Alan. He moved to put his hand on the boy's back, but Alan reached out and gently moved his hand away.

"Don't touch his back. This is Danny and that's his little brother Mark. I found them in the storage room above the garage. I fed them some lunch and when Mark fell asleep I told Danny he could take a shower. He collapsed when I handed him one of Charlie's T-shirts and some shorts to change into."

Don lifted his head and looked at his Father, "What?"

Alan closed his eyes and tried to explain what he'd seen. "He didn't look right during lunch and I was worried about having them leave, so I had him take a shower and I was hoping that he would fall asleep. When I handed him the clothes I saw his back. Donnie, someone gave him a vicious beating. His shoulders, back, butt and his thighs are covered in welts and his left arm is broken."

Alan gently pushed Danny away from his shoulder and lifting him he turned him so he was sitting facing away from Don. He leaned him against his arm and began to untie his hospital gown. Opening the gown he pushed the fabric off his shoulders and let it hang open.

Don looked at Danny's back with horror as he viewed the welts, bruises and blood still seeping from the wounds. Tears were in his eyes as he turned to face his Father. "My God!" Turning away, he moved to the bathroom and a minute later Alan heard the toilet flush and then water running.

When Don returned, his face was pale and his hands were slightly trembling but Alan noticed his jaw was set and a glint of anger was in his eyes. Don looked toward Mark, "Is he…. "

"No, he's fine. The doctor checked him out after Danny was moved in here. There aren't any fresh marks on him, but he's been beaten in the past. The doctor is going to run X-rays later to see if there have been any other broken bones. She wants to see what the extent of the abuse is, although X-rays and a check up won't tell him everything."

Alan shifted in the rocker. "Donnie, would you help me put him on the bed? He needs to be on his stomach."

Don moved forward and carefully lifted Danny into his arms. Putting an arm under his bottom and gently placing a hand behind his head, he moved toward the bed and then stopped. He looked at Alan, "Can you move the blanket?" Danny shifted and groaned, then turned his face toward Don's neck. Don could feel his tears and the sobs that shook his body even though he was asleep.

Alan moved back from the bed so Don could lay him down. Turning, he grabbed the ointment and watched as Don backed away. Shifting Danny's gown completely away and baring him, he heard Don gasp and then quickly turn around. He listened, as Don struggled to get control of his emotions, and he began to spread the cream over the welts.

"Dad? Let me." Don took the tube from Alan and sat down beside Danny. As he worked, Alan watched as a look of determination came over his face. "Do you know anything about the boys, Dad? Have the police been called?"

"Yes, the police have been called, along with Social Services. I'd think somebody should be here soon." Both men looked up as a light tap sounded on the door. A doctor entered and came toward them.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Evelyn. And you are?"

Alan moved forward and shook her hand. "I'm Alan and this is my son Don. I found the boys in the storage room over my garage."

Don finished washing his hands and then moved forward and shook her hand. "Hi, I'm Special Agent Don Eppes. I know since we aren't family you can't tell us much, but is there anything you can tell us about what's going to happen to the boys?"

The doctor moved toward Danny and bent over him. "How has he been doing? Has he awakened, been crying or seemed in pain?"

Alan nodded, "Yes, he's been having nightmares between waking up. And the last time he woke up he was crying and I ended up holding him for a while and rocking him. We just put him back in bed and Don put the ointment on him."

Don looked at the Doctor, "Do you know what's going to happen next? Dad said the police have been called along with Social Services. Do you know when they're coming?"

She looked at him, "All I can really tell you right now is that yes the Police and Social Services have been called and they will want to talk to your father. They should be here soon."

She looked toward the door as it opened and a nurse looked into the room. "Yes nurse?"

"Doctor, Social Services is here and would like to talk to you." She smiled at both men and then turned back to the doctor. "Would you like me to have her wait in the waiting area or your office?"

"You can put her in my office. I'll be there in just a minute." She turned back to Don and Allen. "If you two will excuse me, I have a report to give about Danny and Mark. Are you two going to wait? She'll probably want to speak to you Alan as will the police when they get here. They shouldn't be much longer."

Allen indicated that he was going to stay with the boys if that was alright. He didn't want Danny or Mark to wake up and get scared in an unfamiliar place. "Donnie, are you going to stay?"

"No, I need to get going. I'll call later and come back when I get off work." Don walked out with the Doctor. "If you need me for any reason, here is my card. Don't hesitate to call."

Studying his face for a moment, she took the card and agreed to call him if necessary. Here was a man who took his job of protection very seriously, she thought. It was too bad that these children hadn't been born into this family, they would have been much better off.


	4. Rachel and Mark

Chap 4

Rachel O'Malley walked down the hall of Huntington Memorial. A Trauma Specialist who was on call with the Red Cross and the United Children's Association, she specialized with children who had been abused or abandoned.

She walked up to the door of Room 310 and gently opening the door; she knocked and peeked around the corner. She saw a boy asleep in the bed. He was lying on his stomach, dark curls standing out against a face too pale. She turned and looked at the other occupants in the room.

An older man sat in the chair by the window. A small boy sat on his lap and cuddled up to him while he was being read The Adventures of Curious George. A grin flickered over his face and he shifted as he reached out to turn the page so the story could be continued. He was small for his age and looked to be about 5 or 6 years old.

"Hello everyone." Rachel smiled and moved further into the room. "How are you all doing? What kind of trouble is Curious George getting into today?"

Two heads turned toward her and she watched as the little boy shrank closer to the older man. He gripped a fistful of the plaid shirt and laid his head on his chest. As the man moved to loosen the child's grip and then began to stand to greet her, she held her hand out and said, "Don't get up, you both look comfortable." She watched as they settled back into the chair.

"My name is Rachel O'Malley and I've come to visit with you and meet the boys." She moved toward the other chair and sat down. "I will be giving a recommendation to Social Services about their condition and possible future needs."

Rachel turned to the little boy and smiled. "I brought something for you in this little bag. Would you like to see what it is?" She watched as his eyes turned toward her and his body posture slowly changed. He began to sit up and his head started to move forward while he strained to see the bag. She held it out to him and waited till he took the handles in his small hands.

He looked at her as though he was making sure she really was giving him the bag. "Go ahead, open it." She urged.

He looked at the bag again and then opening the top of it, he peeked inside. Shyly a smile appeared on his face and he turned to Alan and both adults watched as his little face lit up. Turning back again he reached in and pulled a stuffed grey and white dog out and dropped the bag. "Ohhh!" He hugged the dog close and leaned back against Alan.

"Hey Mark, what do you have there? Can you tell Miss Rachel thank you?" Mark looked at her shyly again and whispered 'thank you' to Rachel. He turned back to the dog and touched the shiny eyes and then ran his finger down its back and tail.

"You're welcome Mark. This is Roscoe. Would you like to take care of him for me? He can keep you company at night and you can tell him how your feeling whenever your sad or happy."

Mark nodded his head and climbed down off Alan's lap. He moved over to the couch and began to play with his new friend. As the two adults watched him start to play quietly, Rachel said in a quiet voice. "I was told you found the boys in your storage room. Do you know anything about them at all?"

Alan shook his head. "I basically know their names and that's about it. They did have a couple of small bags with them. They looked like backpacks. There might be some information in there. I can have one of my son's bring them over later."

Rachel nodded. "If you'd like to take a break, go get some fresh coffee or a sandwich, I can stay with the boys. Maybe Mark can tell me something that will give Social Services something to work with."

"Alright." Alan stood up and watched as Rachel moved toward Mark. Mark looked up and looked from Alan to Rachel uncertainly. "Mark, I'm going to go down and get some coffee. Would you like a sandwich?" He nodded and Rachel watched as a look of worry crossed the little boy's face.

She moved over to the couch and sat down beside Mark. "I think there might be a couple of other things in your bag." She handed him the bag again. "Why don't you see what's in it?"

While Mark's attention was successfully diverted to the bag, Alan slipped out of the room and moved toward the cafeteria. He figured he probably didn't have too much time to stretch his legs, grab a couple of sandwiches and drinks. He would wait outside the door and listen in case he was needed.

Rachel watched as Mark pulled a couple of old Matchbox cars out of the bag. She had grabbed them from the box of emergency items she kept in her trunk. She never knew what she was going to need and it was filled with everything from the stuffed dog, toys, licorice, granola bars, a couple of comics, and anything else that caught her attention when she was out and about.

"I thought you and your brother might like to play with those together."

Mark turned and looked at his brother and then turned back to the cars. He ran them along the arm of the chair making little motor sounds. It was obvious though that he was listening.

"I heard that you were camping out in Alan's garage. Were you there for a long time?" Mark looked at her, and then slipping to his knees, he ran the car over the floor, up the side of the couch and across the seat. The car sounds grew louder.

"How did you get there? Did you walk there?" Mark shook his head no.

"Did you fly there?" He shook his head no again and ran the car up the back of the couch.

"Did you drive there?" He nodded his head and standing up on the couch he drove the car across the back of the couch.

"Who drove you there?" Sitting back down, he rolled the car over his leg, up his tummy, chest and back down his right arm.

"A lady. She said we had to live with them now." As Mark said that, they heard a sob come from the bed and they both looked at Danny. Mark slid off the couch and moved closer to Rachel. "Is Danny going to die like Mommy died?"

Rachel felt her heart break for these little boys. Carefully, she slipped an arm around Mark's waist and drew him closer. "No honey. Danny isn't going to die. He's just not feeling very good right now."

Mark looked up at her, "Daddy hurted Danny real bad, just like he hurted Mommy." He looked back at his brother and then leaned his head on her shoulder. "The lady said Aunt Marg'ret would take care of us now."

A gasp filled the room. Neither of them had noticed the door open and that Alan had come in. His face had gone pale and his eyes wide. "Did you say Aunt Margaret?"

Mark nodded and Alan sat down suddenly. Rachel looked at Alan closely as his face had gone pale, "Do you know who 'Aunt Margaret' is?"

"My wife's name was Margaret. Margaret Mann Eppes. She passed away almost 5 years ago." He looked long and hard at the boys trying to see any resemblance to his Maggie. "She had a sister who lived in Nevada I think but she didn't talk about her much." He turned to Rachel, "Do you think?"

Rachel moved closer to Alan and put her hand on his arm, "We can do some research and try to find her. These might be her grandchildren. Was she quite a bit younger than your wife? Could she have children this young?"

Alan shook his head, "I don't think so. She was maybe about 11-12 years younger, I can see if I can find anything in the house that might say. Margaret saved everything. I still have some of her letters. Maybe my son can find out. He's in the FBI and has access to all sorts of databases."

Rachel pulled out a notebook, "You do that. I'll jot down some notes and see what I can find out." She turned toward Mark. "Mark, can you come here please?"

Mark looked up and then moved toward her, stopping when he came within a couple of feet of her. She reached out and gently pulled him toward her the rest of the way. Putting an arm around him, she rubbed his back and asked. "Mark, do you know your full name?"

He nodded, "Mark Evan Mann and my brother is Daniel Jeffrey Mann".

She jotted down both names. "Do you know your mommy's or daddy's names?"

"Mommy and Daddy." He gave her a funny look. "What are you drawling?"

"What did your Mommy and Daddy's friends call them? Do you remember?"

"They called Mommy Linda."

"Good boy. I'm writing your Mommy's name down. Maybe we can find out if your Mommy knew Alan and Margaret and what happened to your Mommy and Daddy."

An irritable voice came from the bed. "Mark, what are you talking about? You're not supposed to tell them about Mommy and Daddy. Nobody's supposed to know about them. Mike'll get real mad."

Alan moved toward Danny, "Shhh, it's OK, no one's going to get in trouble. We'll take care of you. How are you feeling? Are you hurting at all?"

Danny nodded and shifted, "I'm hungry and I gotta go to the bathroom."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A short time later Danny walked slowly back to his bed. Both adults watched as he painfully pulled himself up on the bed. He lay down and closed his eyes and they watched as tears ran down his face slowly. He wiped his eyes and sniffed a little.

Rachel watched as Danny lay there with his eyes closed and then spoke up. "I just called the nurse and told her Danny woke up and was hungry. Do you know what you'd like to eat, Danny?"

After Danny choose chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese for his dinner. Mark walked up to him. "Hi Danny, Miss Rachel brought us each a car to play with." He put them on the bed. "You can pick yours first."

While the boys played quietly on the bed the adults sat on the couch and waited for the doctor to arrive. They both looked up when they heard a knock on the door and then the door opened and Don's head poked through. "Hey everyone."


	5. Catherine

Chap 5_Margaret's sister

Charlie climbed out his Prius and gathering up his laptop, shoulder bag, and a few other odds and ends he trudged up the path to the house. He was tired after a very long day teaching and he had spent the evening tutoring a student who was struggling to understand a key point in Advanced Calculus.

As he walked up to the house he suddenly noticed that every window in the house was lit up and a loud crash coming from the open windows caught his attention and he hurried to let himself in the door.

"Dad?" The door crashed against the wall as he threw it wide and rushed in. "Dad? What's going on? Are you OK?"

Sliding to a halt, he stood there for a moment and stared. There were papers piled on the dining room table, boxes sat on the floor and the doors to the hutches were flung open revealing the contents like a storage closet full of things discarded but kept in case they were ever needed again.

A noise caught his attention and turning he noticed a figure digging through the hutch. Papers slid from the shelves and onto the floor and he watched as Don rapidly scanned the papers and then reached for another stack on the shelves.

"Don? What are you doing?" Charlie moved to Don's side and tried to grab his hands and get his attention, but Don jerked away and continued putting the papers on the dining room table and then turned to grab another pile. "Don! What are you looking for?"

Don looked up then and Charlie noticed that Don was completely focused on the task at hand. He grabbed his arm and shook him and tried to get Don's attention by waving his other hand in front of his face. "Don! Come on, what's going on?"

"Dad wants me to find any letters or journals Mom might have kept about her family. Particularly anything about Aunt Catherine." Don looked around and noticed the piles of paper on the table. He turned to look at the hutch and then at the bookshelves in the other room. "It's hopeless. I've been looking for hours. I don't know where she would have kept something like that."

Charlie looked at him, "Why didn't you call me?" He turned and headed toward the stairs. "Mom's journals are in the solarium and she kept a bunch of letters and papers in the cabinet in there or in the desk in the sitting room in their bedroom."

Don stood there for a moment and then brushed past Charlie in his hurry to get to the solarium. For a moment he stood in the doorway until Charlie gave him a shove to move him out of the way. He watched as Charlie moved to the cabinet and pulled out a box and then a scrapbook album and handed them to him.

Charlie then brushed past him and moved to his parent's room. Opening the door, he walked in and then moved to the sitting room. He knelt down and opened a drawer and removed a packet of letters bundled together and tied with a blue ribbon.

"Charlie. How come you knew about these? Does Dad know about them?" Don followed him out of the room and back down the stairs coming to a halt in the dining room where Charlie had stopped to stare at the mess.

Charlie turned and looked at his brother. "You are so lucky Dad isn't seeing this." He moved forward and grabbed up a pile of papers. He began rifling through them and gave up then grabbing an empty box, he started dumping everything inside to go through later. "What's going on, why do you need those things?"

"Dad found a couple of kids in the storage room over the garage today. He's at the hospital with them now and wanted me to find these things and bring them to him." With that, Don turned and walked into the living room leaving Charlie to stare after him.

"Hey! When did this happen? Why didn't anyone call me?" Charlie abandoned his chore and followed Don. "Is he OK? Who are the kids and why does Dad want Mom's things?"

He watched as Don began looking through the letters and sorting them into piles according to their dates. "Give me some of those and tell me what's going on."

An hour later…….

Charlie sat and stared at Don. He opened his mouth and then realized he had no idea what he should say. Closing his mouth he turned and looked at the table where the letters were scattered.

"Mom used to read the letters to me sometimes. She really missed her sister. She said that Catherine used to come into her room at night and they would curl up in bed and talk till late at night. She said when Catherine was about 13 she started changing a lot. She got really surly and was hanging with the wrong kids at school. She shaved her head and started having really violent mood swings when anyone tried to talk to her - shoving, hitting, and cursing at anyone who would cross her. They found drugs in her room, she came home drunk and got into a lot of fights at school and finally got expelled from school when she was 15 for threatening to hurt a teacher."

"Grandpa was furious when she got expelled and after he brought her home he took her upstairs to give her a whipping. I guess Catherine turned on him when he went into her room. She started shouting at him, kicking and hitting him and finally managed to push him down the stairs. She told him she hated him and Grandma and was leaving and he shouldn't bother trying to find her because he never would. She walked out the door and they never saw her again."

"Mom cried when she told me that." Charlie looked up and Don noticed tears in his eyes. "She hated seeing her family torn up like that."

"Does Dad know about this?" Don asked.

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know if she ever shared her letters with him. I was probably about 15 or 16 when she told me. I walked in one day and she was crying. I asked her what was wrong and that's when I found out."

They sat there for a few minutes each lost in their own thoughts. Neither of them remembered either of their grandparents on that side much. They did remember sticking close to their parents when they visited afraid they would do or say something wrong.

Don ran his thumb and the knuckle of his index finger over his eyes and sighed. "We need to go through these letters and Mom's journals and see if Catherine ever wrote about having kids. Write down any names or locations she might have mentioned - and then I need to talk to Dad."


End file.
